are you communicating, or connecting?

Here’s yet another great piece of advice/insight from industry great Pat Fraley.

When you ask people to define voiceover, many people might say something along the lines of “communicating a message via the spoken word, with the intent of moving the listener to act in some way (i.e. buying a product, signing up for a service, etc.)”.

And while good communication skills are certainly an important part of voiceover, they are not what is ultimately going to make you, or your message, successful.

What’s important is connecting with the listener.

In interpreting a script, we need to find some element within it that speaks to us, and that in turn will help us find a way to communicate, or deliver the message in a way that connects with the listener. When a listener feels emotionally connected to what we are saying, THAT is when they are prompted to action.

This is another good reason for being picky about what you audition for. If you’re completely disinterested, or even bored, by a particular topic, then it’s really hard for you to find a way to make the listener feel connected!

Remember, that’s what clients are looking for when they want to hire a talent: someone who makes them connect and with whom they think others will connect too.

For more great insight like this, try studying with Pat! He offers amazing homestudy courses, so even if you’re not in LA, you can work with him! Isn’t technology great?